The Ebb Tides

Columbus, Ohio garage combo the Ebb-Tides came together in 1963. As documented in Fuzz, Acid & Flowers, vocalist and guitarist Don Kyre, lead guitarist Mike Wheeler, and bassist Mike Whited were each fourteen years old, while drummer Dan Waldron, then ten, completed the roster. The quartet soon gained local attention by topping a string of sock-hops backed by WCOL radio. During their 1964 appearance at the Ohio State Fair, scouts from the city’s NBC outlet spotted the group and booked them on the affiliate’s teen program Dance Party. That televised slot led directly to a slot on the 1965 “Shindig All-Star Review,” where the Ebb-Tides supported fellow performers Bobby Sherman and Del Shannon. Also in 1965 the band cut its first single, “Little Women,” at a Nashville studio and placed it on the Clark label. The next year insurance agent Ben VanDervort, in town to see family, was convinced to sign on; he took over lead vocals and adopted the performing name Benny Van. His arrival shaped the psychedelic direction of the 1967 release “Séance.” Not long afterward the Ebb-Tides disbanded, though VanDervort and Waldron later formed Tree together. In 1970 VanDervort adopted the name J.D. Blackfoot and went on to issue multiple albums under that moniker throughout the 1970s.